Is there a better techno festival in the world right now than Awakenings? Obviously we can’t say for sure, but there’s little doubting that this Dutch extravaganza is somewhere near the top. Much of that is down to the crowd and the setting, but the central ingredient is the the music.
Coming to Manchester for the first time, The Awakenings Crew had chosen the monumental Victoria Warehouse as its venue of choice. I must admit it isn’t my favourite of Manchester’s clubbing venues (partially due to it always seeming too big for the event it was hosting) but for Awakenings, it was spot on!
With four different areas each hosting 5 DJ’s each, it was more like a mini festival which is why, with this level of production and organisation, the night had drawn crowds from all over Europe.
When we arrived we headed straight to Room V where Rebekah was opening. She played an absolute blider of a set. Mixing ferocious techno track into ferocious techno track, her performance was brutally relentless in musical terms. Playing a mixture of hard, driving techno and some more melodic Berlin-nfused tracks, Rebekah demonstrated perfectly how to open a techno party.
Next up we moved into Room W for De Sluwe Vos, followed by Guy Gerber. Just 23 years old, De Sluwe Vos has built on the success of his well received Slapfunk EP ‘Concrete Groove’ and is now receiving attending from the crème de la crème of the techno world. What was great about his set was that it wasn’t just about melodies or nostalgia but about tightly mixed bare rhythms and steady beats that build the tension to great heights.
Guy Gerber has built a reputation around the technical dexterity of his sets and this one was no different.
We then finished the night back in Room V for Chris Liebing and Speedy J and I must say the visuals for these two sets were especially incredible!
Hearing the name Chris Liebing as a dance music fan sets high expectations that were undeniably satisfied. Gritty, mechanical, rhythm shuffles got his set underway . Using plenty of EFX and dropping out the low end in the beginning, Liebing later moved to more tough percussion used to great effect as if to preserve the energy ready for Speedy J who was to close.
Rotterdam-based DJ-producer Speedy J is somewhat synonymous with the word techno and, as an artist, he continues to push the boundaries of techno exploration, experimenting with different sounds and textures which was a perfect close to what has been an all-round special night.
We look forward to welcoming Awakenings back to Manchester (hopefully) very soon!
